Fence



(No Model.)

T. HOUCK.

FENCE.

No. 882,288. PatentedMay 1, 1, 88.

N. Pnzas, HMo-Lhhograplwr. Washington. In.

NITED STATES THOMAS HOUOK, OF BLACK GREEK, OHIO.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 382,233, dated May 1, 1888.

Application filed October 11, 1887. Serial No. 252,043.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS HOUOK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Black Creek, in the county of Holmes and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side View of my new and improved fence. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the stirrups removed.

' Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to the class of inventions known as rail fences, and it has for its object to provide means whereby the rails may be easily and quickly secured to the posts; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the sill or base piece, having in its upper portion post-sockets, in which the posts B are seated. In the upper ends of these posts are slots or kerfs G, the object of which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

D represents the rails, the lower ones of which are secured to the posts by nails or screws E. The rails are preferably recessed at heir meeting or adjacent ends, (shown at G indicates a wire at each post, between which the ends of the rails are secured and supported. These wires are doubled, so as to form a loop near the bottom of the post, and the upper, ends are secured to the top of the post, preferably by means of a saw-kerf, in which the wires are placed, and a staple, I, which straddles the ends of the wires and is driven into the post. The lower rails of the fence are placed in the loops at the bottom,

(No model.)

the end of one rail resting upon the end of the preceding one. Each succeeding rail above the bottom rail is secured between the wires G at the required distance above each other by means of the fiat open rings or stirrups H, each end of which is secured in a turn or twist in the wires, which will prevent them from slipping down toward the lower rails. By this construction the lower rail can be secured to the side of the post, and the panel of fence is secured, as the upper ends of the wires Gr are secured before the rails are put in place. By unloosening the fastening at the top and bottom of the panel and detaching the other rails from it one panel can be turned around likea gate, the hinge of which is the wire-support at the opposite end; or, if it is desired to make a separator of stock out of the fence-that is, to let small animals pass and keep back the larger ones--all that is necessary is to unloosen the panel at the top and bottom, raise it as high as desired, and secure it to the post again. If desired, the ends of the panels can be placed upon opposite sides of the post by simply using the wires G upon each side and securing the ends of the rails with their respective wires in the same manner as where the ends of two panels are secured upon the same side of the post.

Any person with ordinary intelligence can easily construct the fence, thus dispensing with the employment of skilled labor, which is very expensive.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the manner of constructing and advantages of my improvement will be readily understood without requiring extended explanation. It will be seen that by twisting the elongated loop around the hooked ends of the stirrups the same will be by friction prevented from slipping out of position, and it will further be seen that it is simple and strong in construction and is exceedingly inexpensive to In a fence, the combination, with the post and rails, the lower ones of whichiare rigidly In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my secured to the post, of a wire doubled to form own I have hereunto affixed my slgunture in a loop at the bottom and then hooked in each presence of two witnesses.

end of stirrups H, to form seats for the re- THOMAS HOUOK. 5 maining rails, the said wire' being secured at Witnesses:

its ends to the top of the post, substantially as GEO. BECHLER,

and for the purpose set forth. E., S. DAY. 

